


Wind Blown

by fandomfreak20, freebird97



Category: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: DotNW setting, Other, poly ship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-01
Updated: 2016-02-24
Packaged: 2018-05-17 13:58:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5873044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomfreak20/pseuds/fandomfreak20, https://archiveofourown.org/users/freebird97/pseuds/freebird97
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Raven Mellows. . . who am I, really?</p>
<p>~</p>
<p>Things are simple and yet they are not at the same time. Raven Mellows, a woman of twenty-three years has been living with retrograde amnesia since she was eighteen. Memories of her past come to her in fragments that often confuse her and just make her wonder more what her past was like. But sometimes she craves the blessing of her amnesia, for her past, she is coming to realize over time, isn't the prettiest.</p>
<p>And the problem is, her life has become more crazy ever since that accidental jump.  At the same time too, because of that jump, the pieces of her life are coming together.</p>
<p>~</p>
<p>"Come slowly,<br/>gentle wind,<br/>And carry the children,<br/>of the lost,<br/>To their home. . ."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> | Hello! This is a work I am posting on here and Wattpad, and will also be co-authoring with someone else (aka my girlfriend). This work was inspired by some roleplaying my girlfriend and I did on tumblr with my OC, Raven Mellows, and her portrayal of Zelos Wilder. I will be writing Raven's parts and she will writing Zelos's parts. Until later on in this work, this story will be rated Teen for mild cursing and some violence. Later, the rating may change to Mature for sex scenes. We hope you enjoy reading this! |

**Part 1**

**Third Person - Zelos**

There is nothing that makes Zelos's day more interesting like a woman on his roof. Really, he thought that light bump above of him might have been a bird or something. But now, when he goes up the stairs to check it out, he spots a blonde haired woman standing just outside his window, her back faced to him. Raising a red eyebrow, Zelos opens the window and slips a charming smile onto his lips. 

"Why hello there hunny, that's a strange place for you to be." He comments, causing the girl to whirl around and stare at him. Violet eyes meeting an icy blue. Zelos has trouble focusing on anything but her eyes. Usually when it's a women, eyes aren't the first thing that grabs his attention. The woman seems to be frozen in her spot, but after a few seconds, she finds her voice. 

"I....I got lost..?" Zelos doesn't fail to notice how she looks a little pissed at herself for having that answer come out as a question. He watches her carefully. Honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if this was just another one of his 'hunnies' trying to steal from him. But, being the gentleman that he is, he doesn't point it out. Instead, he smirks and takes a couple of steps towards the woman. 

"Lost, huh? How did a cute hunny like you get lost on my roof?" Zelos tilts his head slightly, gaze curious as he holds out a hand for the blonde to take. The woman sighs and shakes her head, ignoring the hand that was offered to her. 

"Never mind, can you just tell me where I am?" She crosses her arms underneath her chest, her violet eyes flickering to her surroundings before landing on the Chosen once again. 

Now this was even stranger. How could this chick seriously not know where she was? Zelos laughs slightly, nodding his head. "Oh yeah, of course! You're in the wonderful kingdom of Meltokio!" He uses his arms to gesture around them, as if showing off a prize. It's easy for him to hide his hatred of this place, since he's already been doing it for twelve years anyways. 

"Meltokio...." The woman murmurs, going into thought once again. Zelos notes that she seems to be agitated about something. Although about what, the Chosen isn't sure. She turns her attention back to him, tilting her head slightly. "And what is your name?" 

Okay, now that surprises him. Someone who hasn't heard of him? She must be from a different planet, or something. "You haven't heard of me? Guess I've still got quite a ways to go, then." The red-head chuckles, placing a confident hand on his hip as he puffs out his chest a bit. "I am the Great Zelos Wilder. But you, my sweet beauty, can just call me Zelos." He pauses for a short moment, putting that charming smile back on. Oh, how he's mastered that smile by now. "And who might you be, hunny?"

The woman's eyebrows raise, she seems to be unimpressed by his act. Zelos is now quietly making it his goal to get her to smile at least once. "It's nice to meet you, Zelos. My name is Raven Mellows. I'm not from around here, if you couldn't tell." 

Oh, Zelos could tell alright. "I figured as much, sweet heart." He chuckles once again, offering his hand out to her one more time. "How about we get off this roof and go talk about it inside?" He suggests, blue eyes gleaming as he waits patiently for her answer. Raven glances down at his hand, before hesitantly placing her small one in his. When their hands touch, Zelos notices a strange feeling that almost makes him shiver. 

"All right, let's go." Raven agrees, nodding slightly. Zelos smirks and leads her inside the house and down the stairs, paying no mind to the portrait of his mother beside the fireplace. He pulls the woman along to the couches, before plopping elegantly down on one of them, crossing his right leg over his left. 

The blonde looks around the living room, lips pursed as she takes a seat on the couch. "Not bad..." She murmurs, reaching up to take a long, dark feather from her hair. Raven looks back at Zelos, twirling the abnormally large feather in her hand. "So, do you have any questions for me?"

"Just one, hunny." Zelos leans forward, briefly eyeing the feather. "Since you're not from Meltokio, where's a cute thing like you from?" 

Raven is quiet for a moment, causing the Chosen to grow even more suspicious of her.

"I'm from the west." She finally answers. Zelos raises an eyebrow. There was no town west of here, not that he knows of. Unless she has a house on the mountains or something? However, he doesn't comment on it."Well . . . you may find this hard to believe, but I live on a small island not known at all around here. At least, that's where I believe that I'm from.." She trails off, causing Zelos to lean forward in his seat. Now he was getting interested. 

Raven must have seen his curious look, because she sighs and puts the feather back into her hair. "The problem with me is that I have amnesia."

"Amnesia, huh? Don't suppose that there's any cure to that problem, is there?" He highly doubts that First-Aid would fix such a big problem such as memory loss. Wait, why does he even care in the first place? He doesn't even know this woman.

"Well, the amnesia has no cure unless one day I suddenly remember what happened the first eighteen years of my life." Raven pauses, keeping violet eyes on the Chosen. "However, my friend Xavier supplies me with medicine that I take daily to help." 

"Ah, right. Well at least you've got that goin' for ya!" Zelos chirps, before suddenly standing from the couch. "Okay then, how about I give you a tour of the kingdom? Unless you want me to take you home?" Except he wouldn't take no for an answer. He would find a way to persuade her if she turned down his oh so generous offer. 

The red-head can see a twitch of a smile on the blonde's lips, but she's obviously holding it back for whatever reason. "Eh, I don't feel like going home just yet. So, I won't mind seeing the kingdom." 

Zelos smirks a bit, stretching his hand out to help her off of the couch. "Cool, cool! I've got loads to show you!" That may have been a bluff. Since the only interesting thing about this kingdom is the coliseum and the palace. But oh well. "And also, would it kill ya to smile? I bet you'd look even more beautiful!" Now whether or not that was a bluff, Zelos would never tell. 

Raven shakes her head, giving a sarcastic "Ha ha," before taking his hand so he could pull her up. The red-head notices that when the sleeve of her over coat rides up, slash-like scars are revealed on her arm. He chooses not to comment on them. After all, he's got secrets of his own. It doesn't feel right to try and ask her about them. She playfully sticks her tongue out at him, making him genuinely chuckle. 

"Awe, don't be like that hunny!" Zelos pouts, leading Raven along to the door. He stops in front of his butler, giving a nod to him. "Yo Sebastian, if anyone comes here, tell them I'm out doing Chosen stuff for the king or whatever." He orders, giving the man a mischevious wink before stepping outside. Zelos relaxes a bit once the warm sunlight kisses his pale skin. He returns his attention back to the blonde woman next to him, giving her a thoughtful look. 

"Hm, where should I show you first?"

However, Raven ignores that question completely. Instead, she asks one of her own. "The Chosen? What does that mean?" 

The red-head gives her a dumbfounded look. How could she live in Tethe-alla and not know what a Chosen was? Man alive, he has a lot of explaining to do. "You seriously don't know what a Chosen is? You're joking, right?" Zelos sighs, tilting his head in thought. "Well, the Chosen of Martel is supposed to go on a journey of regeneration once he or she gets an oracle, and that person is me. The Angels of Cruxis decide on what person they should pick." But mainly it has to do with the right type of breeding. Zelos's mood sours a bit.

He never wanted to be the Chosen. He'd rather have his half-sister Seles take the title instead and call it a day. But no, in order for that to happen, Zelos would have to die. Which . . . doesn't really sound all that bad.

Raven listens raptly. The woman looks away for a moment and speaks quietly, just loud enough for Zelos to hear. "I met an angel two years ago, the Angel of Time, to be exact. She told me I had two destinies, unlike anyone else who has way more than that. She said one led to me helping to save the world. The other... well, leads to me destroying the world instead. I don't know if that's worse than being the Chosen, but it is something hard to comprehend."

Zelos scoffs, shrugging a bit. "That's a lovely thought." He states, sarcasm evident in his tone. "Tch, honestly I don't think that I'm cut out to be the Chosen. Sure, I've done plenty of tests and stuff for it, but.." He pauses, shaking his head. This conversation had turned much to personal and serious for his liking. "Ah, never mind, doesn't matter. Anyways, let's continue the tour!"  



	2. Prologue

**Part 2**

**Third Person - Raven**

She had never expected for her vacation in Rome to be cut short. Raven had been having quite a bit of fun there, too. And then it had been ruined by her accidentally dimension jumping. However, the blonde had to admit she didn't mind the change in scenery. Or being led around by a cute stranger.

For a moment,  things had gotten a little serious in Zelos and her's conversation. It made her a little uncomfortable, but, after a year or two of hiding it, she felt like she had to tell someone what the Angel of Time told her. Otherwise, keeping the secret in for so long would drive her nuts.

Yet, when the subject is quickly changed she feels much better. She doesn't want to talk about the full implications of it yet.

When her arm is tugged on by Zelos to continue on, she nearly stumbles right into his back. She's always been a light weight, making it very easy for anyone to pull or push her along.  However,  the woman catches herself before she can bump into his back. "Well, this is where you can buy jewelry and potions and stuff, and over there is the Elemental research lab," the redhead says, gesturing to a large building with a blue roof. "It's where they do experiments and stuff, I guess."

She's still a little winded from almost smacking into Zelos's back, so when she speaks her voice comes out a little breathy. "It's very pretty here. Definitely different than my home."

"See, told ya you'd like it!" Zelos chuckles as he leads her up the stairs. Looking around, the blonde notices that they seem to be in the middle of the city now. She looks back at Zelos only when he speaks again. "Ah, this area isn't really important. Mainly for scenery, and then the top is where the palace and the Church of Martel is." For a second, he pauses as his gaze shifts away. Then, he looks back at Raven. "Oh, and to the left of the church is the Coliseum, where prisoners have to face off against monsters." 

"Could we go to the church? I've heard of it and always wanted to see it, but never had a clue where it was." She asks the question only because she wants to find something hidden there. Her friend had left her something in a church from her past days, but, she could only find it if she had deciphered a riddle he gave her. Recently she had solved it and learned that the church she was searching for was not on Earth. It had made her frustrated learning so, but now, however, she's not so annoyed. 

It could possibly be in the Church Zelos mentioned.

"And that's terrible!" Raven's nose crinkles as she makes a face.

"Sure thing, if that's what my blonde Hunny wants!" The redhead nods, continuing on upwards. Raven follows him, her mind stuck between how terrible the Coliseum is and about what could be in the church she's searching for. That is until Zelos shrugs. 

Holy hell, back muscles.

Raven thanks any God above listening that Zelos isn't looking at her. Otherwise, he would see her nearly boring holes into his back as she tries not to drool. Internally, she scolds herself and after a few seconds she turns her gaze from his back. Her cheeks are dusted a light pink shade in embarrassment; even though he didn't catch her staring, she's embarrassed by herself.

"They are criminals after all, but hey, it's not my rule!" the male in front of her chuckles, and finally Raven snaps herself out of her embarrassment before he can notice. The last thing she wants to do is explain why he cheeks are as red as Zelos's hair.

"I just don't understand why people find entertainment watching others fight for their lives," she murmurs. Raven sighs lightly, downcasting her gaze to the ground.It isn't until she's being lead inside what is likely the Chruch that she brings her gaze from the ground. Zelos has turned to look at her, his blue gaze imploring.

"So, what is it that you wanted to see in here?"

"Hm, you'll see." Considering even she doesn't know what it is, they'll both just have to see what it is. They are the only two inside the Church currently, so, Raven starts to wander around and search carefully with her keen eyes. Only a minute passes before she spots what she is looking for. "All right, now help me a find a loose floorboard. There should be one here."

"You know, for someone who's never been to Meltokio before, you seem to know a lot about the church," the redhead comments. His comment only makes her lightly smile. Now she searches the wood floor, her gaze fleeting across each wood panel. 

 

"Xavier told me he left something of my father's in a church underneath a loose floorboard. I've been searching everywhere and have had no luck in finding it. Until now."

 

Zelos beats her to finding it. "Over here," he states, crouching down beside a loose floorboard and looking up at the woman. "So, does this count as damaging properties? 'Cause if it does, I'm not bein' blamed for it."

She walks over to him and then bends down beside him. From her thigh holster she takes out her five inch knife. "And relax. He got permission to put it here." 

 

"Mhm, I'll take your word for it."

Slowly, she pries the floorboard up. Raven places it to the side and lies down on the floor so she can reach in better. A small smile is on her lips as she grabs onto the object that is hidden, but it falls when she realizes it's stuck. "Geez. It's heavy and kinda stuck. And I think... it's a..."

"What is it? Do yah need the Great Zelos to help you out, Hunny?"

"No, no. I've got this." She gives a tug, and it's apparently enough for the object to come unstuck. "Got it." She lifts it up gently. It's wrapped in a beige cloth but the outline of the wrapped object gives it away. She unfolds the cloth, revealing a large sword. Her eyebrows furrow as she stares at it and she runs her hand over smooth blade. "It's a sword. . ."

"Careful with that, don't want to poke anyone's eye out," Zelos jokes. Out of the corner of her eyes she sees Zelos lean toward he to look at sword better. "So, your friend sent you to get a sword?" 

Raven ignores his last question, trying to see if any memories will pop up at all just because she's seen the sword. None come to her, which disappoints her. "I hate close range weapons, but, apparently my father didn't. . . All right, let's go somewhere more private so I can look a thing thing." 

"Hey, hey! What've yah got against close range weapons?" Zelos gestures to his currently sheathed sword as they both stand.  "Alright! Back to my mansion we go!" He chirps. They're walking side-by-side now, and Raven doesn't mess his quick glance at the wrapped sword.

"Well, I don't like getting up close and personal with the people I'm fighting with." Raven moves her hold of the sword to one hand so she can point to her skinny arms. "I'm all skin and bones, after all, so I'd get my ass kicked in a few seconds," she chuckles a bit. She's feeling better now and a little more excited even if no memories have come back to her.

She watches as Zelos smirks. "Maybe with some training you could grow some muscle! Unless of course, you want the Great Zelos to protect you!"

Raven rolls her eyes. "Uh huh." She pulls out one of her throwing knives and spins it between her fingers, watching as the blade of it catches the light. "One thing is for sure, I never miss."


	3. Raven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> | This chapter is in Raven's point-of-view and is set after a year and a half of the first Tales of Symphonia game; also six months before the events in the beginning of Dawn of the New World. |

**Chapter 1**

_"William!" A female voice shouted. The voice had come from a woman with a curvy body and of average height, and she stood right in front of me, haloed in light because of the flames leaping from a burning home yards away. "Come back! You'll get burnt!"_

_"I'll be fine, Ariel!" A man's voice called back. He stood haloed in flame too, but his black hair stood out against all of the burning colors. "Trust me, I won't get hurt!"_

_Something suddenly cracked and fell inside the home, making the already high flames reach higher and further out. The woman in front of me pushed me back, and I looked up to see the expression on her face. It was a mix of worry and a tinge of fear._

_"What's going on, mommy?" I asked. "What is daddy doing?"_

_She looked down at me, and her dark gaze changed to a softer expression, making her sky blue eyes not look as cold._

_"He's going to save our home," she told me, hope had alighted in her eyes too, making her look much younger. A surge of hope washed through me, and then I smiled._

"Hmph," I snort, closing the silver locket I hold in my right hand. Sometimes things like this happen to me. Whether it will be triggered because of something I see or touch or they'll come back to me for no reason at all. Little random memories will pop into my head, the pieces of the past not even seeming real most of the time as I view the memory. It's like I'm viewing a different time or someone else's memories, not my own.

Footsteps alert me that I'm no longer going to be alone in my sheltered spot. I look up, and even though the room is dim because I have only a single candle lit, I automatically know who's standing a foot away from me. When I shift a bit, the book in my lap falls to the floor with a gentle thud.

"Hey, Lloyd," I greet the brunet swordsman, who for once doesn't have his blades on his person. It must be getting late, then. "What's up?"

"Aren't you going to go to bed?" He asks his own question and then finally steps a little closer. Now I can see his face better, and the worry lines for me around his mouth and eyes stand out even with the little light. "You haven't slept in two days."

Damn. He can be observant when he wants to be. Maybe that's why I admire him so much . . .

"Huh, I thought it had been a day since I last slept." He gives me a look that clearly shows that he isn't buying it. "Don't worry about it, Lloyd. I'm not human, remember?"

He shakes his head, his brown messy hair flinging around with the sharp movement. "I know you're lying, Rave." When he finishes closing the distance between us, he bends down to pick up the book that dropped to the floor that I hadn't bothered to pick up. He scans the title, and then sighs before placing it on the table in front of me. "You're exhausted. You've been searching non-stop for the key to that house. I think you need a break for a few days."

He sits down beside me, and I lock my gaze with his automatically. A little bit of anger surges inside of me. "You know I can't stop looking. It kills me every single day, not knowing what happened to them . . . and to me." I put my hand on top of his, our gazes still locked on each others. "I've told you what it feels like, not remembering more than half of your life. Remember Lloyd, I have to deal with those feelings and thoughts every single day."

Lloyd sighs, then closes his eyes. For a moment, he looks just as tired as I feel. Pity lashes through me. He's been just as busy searching as I have. He often doesn't show how taxing the job of searching for exspheres is, but when he does, I remember right away how small and insignificant my problems are compared to his.

"I- ah, never mind." His eyes open again, but instead of looking at me, he looks away at a wall. "We're leaving tomorrow."

Now it's my turn to look away. Zelos and Lloyd had told me they would be leaving soon to go back on the search for exspheres, but they never told me when. Until now, that is. And now that I know when exactly they are leaving, I don't want them to leave even more than before. Last time they left, I didn't see them for two months. And since the others, Sheena, Raine, Genis, Regal, and Presea are off doing their own thing, I'm all alone. 

I never minded being alone until I accidentally came to this world -another thing that has changed about me over nearly a year.

"When will-" my voice cracks, and I clear my throat before I speak again. "When do you think you'll be back?" It's a stupid question, for I know Lloyd won't have an answer to it, but it doesn't hurt to try.

Slowly, his brown eyes sweep back to look at me. His expression is a little less pained than mine probably is. "You know I don't know that, Rave."

Pursing my lip, I look down at my hands. I've intertwined my fingers, yet I twiddle my thumbs around and around each other for a little bit of a distraction. Silence flits between us only because I don't know what else to say. Again, words have failed me.

"Hey," Suddenly, his fingers are lifting up my chin. You would think his hands to be calloused and rough, but I know better. Lloyd's hands are actually not scarred up too badly, and it's mainly because of the gloves he wears. But he's not wearing his gloves now, so I easily feel the softness of his hands against my chin.

I meet his gaze, my purple eyes and his brown ones clashing just as much as my blonde hair and Zelos's red hair clashes.

"It's going be okay, okay? I'll make sure we're not gone as long this time. And you know if you need me, all you have to do is send out a message and I'll come back right away." His hand slides to the back of my neck, cupping it there. If my heart were still beating, it would flutter with warmth. Instead, I feel my insides twist and a bubbly feeling set up inside me.

I smile. "I know. Thanks, Lloyd."

"No problem," He says with his own smile. His hand moves and he pats my shoulder twice before letting his hand lay atop there. "By the way, did a memory come back to you while you were staring at your locket?"

He didn't miss the far away look in my eyes, then. Once again, he was being very observant.

"Yes. I saw my parents, again. This time a house was burning and my father was trying to save it while my mother and I watched on." I pause, recalling the memory. "I think. . . I think I was seven. I'm not sure. But I was younger than the last memory."

"What was the last one you recalled again?"

"My dad and I were fishing in a small river. I nearly fell in while trying to net a fish my dad caught. That's when I learned his first name, too." I'm holding my locket again, and I smooth my thumb over the front surface of it. "William. That's his name."

"Have you learned your mom's name yet?"

I nod. "Yeah. Ariel. She's the woman I've been seeing with pretty red hair and the woman in the locket."

His hand has moved from my shoulder and he's rubbing his chin. "Ariel and William Mellows. . . they don't sound familiar."

I roll my eyes, managing a small smile. "Of course not. They're not from this world, they were from mine. That I know for a fact."

"Right." Lloyd nods, taking his hand off of his chin and setting it on his lap. "Is there anything else you remember about them?"

Pursing my lips again, I tilt my head up and stare at the ceiling, as if the answers are written there. Memories flit through my mind. Bright red hair with all the color of flames. Dusk blue eyes mixed with dark lavender sparkling with mischief. Calloused hands smoothing wisps of my hair back. A sweet lullaby in another language being sung to me to put me to sleep. Those little things are the only other things I remember from my past besides the big memories.

"No. There's nothing else." Sighing, I open the locket again. It takes a bit of prying like it always does, but then it snaps open and reveals the little picture inside. A man and a woman stand with a little girl, the girl in middle between the two and holding one of each of their hands. The woman is laughing, her head thrown back as some of crimson red hair falls in her face. It's my mother, Ariel. And the man, William and my father, is grinning in the picture, his dark eyes lit up with usual mirth. Some of his shaggy raven hair falls in his face too, but in the picture it looks to be smoothed back by gel.

And the little girl. . . She's laughing with her eyes closed too, so I can't see the color of her eyes. But I know if she were to open them, I would see familiar purple eyes staring at back me. Her hair is very different then my parent's hair, but still vibrant. The strands of pale gold hair curl around her face and than straighten past her ears and the full length of it only reaches to her shoulders. Past her shoulders, I can see the tops of her folded wings, and they look to be the same color as my father's hair. She looks to be ten because she's taller and quite thin, but the roundness of her cheeks and face say otherwise.

I've come to realize the little girl is me. I believe I'm six in the picture, but I'll be unsure until the memory of this captured moment comes back to me. If it does come back at all, of course.

Suddenly, Lloyd's hand is under mine and he's turning it so he can see the picture. He's closer to me now, our knees brushing together. His dark brown eyebrows furrow as he studies the picture. "You have his eyes and nose, but you look a lot like your mom," Lloyd comments, his eyes flitting from me to the picture. "And you have his smile, too."

I move a little closer to also study the picture. Now that he's pointed it out, I realize how much I do look like my parents. It seems like I get most of the subtle traits from my father, and the physical traits from my mother. 

"And look at the color of his hair. Seem familiar?" I ask. Lloyd's brows furrow further. He looks over my face once and he still looks confused after a moment. Raising both of my eyebrows, there's a whisper of movement and then my right wing extends just a bit to be noticeable. "My wings are the same color as his hair."

"Oh. Right." He lets go of the locket and gently places a hand on the top of my wing. I nearly glare at him (I don't like people touching my wings for a reason that I don't exactly know) but I don't. The trust I have for Lloyd's actions has always been strong, so I can manage to squash down my annoyance and slight fear. "Yeah. You're right . . . huh, they're really soft," he adds the last part in as more of a murmur and an afterthought.

Lloyd is so busy staring at my wing, he doesn't notice my questioning gaze. A second of silence passes and then he looks back at me, his eyes suddenly wide. "Ah, sorry! You don't like people touching your wings."

I shrug. "It's fine. Don't worry about it." He was just curious, after all. "Anyways, we should probably go to bed. You have to get up early tomorrow, and I need to make up some sleep."

He runs a hand through his hair, nods, and when he stands I do too. Smiling a bit, I ruffle his messy hair. I used to be the same height as him when I first met him, but now he's a few inches taller than me so I have to reach up a bit. Lloyd grumbles and rolls his eyes, but I can't help but notice the corners of his lips twitching. "Night, dork."

"Stop callin' me that," he grumbles. Another roll of his eyes and then he's wrapping his arms around my shoulders and pulling me in for a hug. My smile becomes a little wider, and I wrap my arms around his waist and hug him back. I drop my head on his shoulder and then he puts his chin on the top of my head. "G'night, Rave."


	4. Zelos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> | This chapter is written by Fandomfreak20. |

**Chapter 2**

**6 months later**

**Zelos Third Person**

Sadly, Lloyd's and Zelos's journey wouldn't last. About six months in, the younger told Zelos that they needed some time off, and without another word, dropped him back off in Meltokio, taking both of their rheirds without so much as a goodbye.

Now Zelos is in Iselia, informing his former companions that he and Lloyd are no longer on the journey to collect exspheres. Even though the Chosen of Tethe'alla is confused, he wouldn't question Lloyd's motives. There has to be a reason behind his actions, right? So whatever the reason is, Zelos is sure Lloyd will tell him eventually.

It doesn't take him long to find the house of the Sage siblings, it seems he still remembers the general layout of the village. Which surprises him a bit, considering he's only been here once, and that was almost a year ago. Zelos braces himself as he knocks on the wooden door, hearing muffled voices that were definitely familiar to him. After a few moments, the door swings open, and he's greeted with the surprised expression of Raine Sage.

"Hey there, my cool beauty. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Zelos grins, earning a small sigh and eye roll from the professor. But nonetheless, she gives him a small smile.

"What's the great Zelos Wilder doing in a small village like Iselia? Aren't you supposed to be collecting the exspheres with Lloyd?" Her voice is curious, betraying the calm expression on her silver eyes. The red-head opens his mouth, but doesn't have time to respond because of another voice coming from behind Raine.

"He probably got bored and bailed on him." Genis quips, nudging his sister so he could stand behind her. Zelos glares down at the teen, icy eyes rolling at the brat's commentary.

"No one asked you, twerp. And for your information, Lloyd was the one who bailed on me." He states casually, gloved arms crossing over his chest as he returns his attention back to the eldest sibling. Raine's eyes widen slightly at this piece of information.

"What? That's unlike Lloyd. Did he give a reason as to why?" She asks, concern evident in her voice. The Chosen shakes his head, giving a shrug.

"Nope. Not a word. He dropped me off in Meltokio and took my rheaird so I couldn't go with him." It's not that Zelos wasn't worried for Lloyd as well, but if he needed to take care of something on his own, then he can fully understand that. He only wishes that the brunet would have explained a little before taking off on his own.

"And you walked all this way to tell us that?" Genis scoffs, looking a bit impressed. "Wow, I'm surprised you weren't killed."

The red-head ignores him, watching Raine's expression. She was obviously worried, but it looked like she was trying not to show it. 

"I see. Well, you should probably go tell the others that Lloyd went off on his own. Colette's home now as well, so go pay her a visit. We'll keep an eye out for Lloyd."  
Zelos nods, a smirk on his lips.

"Sounds good to me, gorgeous. Anything to pay a visit to my cute little Colette." He turns, raising his hand in a wave as he makes his way towards the other side of town. Which didn't take too long for him, considering that Iselia isn't big at all. It's only barely larger than the Slums in Meltokio.

Only seconds after he knocks on the oak door, it swings open to reveal an all too familiar blonde with warm blue eyes. Colette smiles wide upon seeing Zelos, opening the door a bit wider so he can come in.

"Zelos! It's great to see you again!" She chirps happily, but then tilts her head to the side as if remembering something. "Oh yeah, where's Lloyd? Weren't you two gathering exspheres together?"

The red-head can't help but to give the other former chosen a genuine smile. "Well hello to you too, my sweet little Colette. As for Lloyd, that's just what I came here to talk with you about." He pauses for only a second, the smile fading from his lips just a bit. 

"It seems Lloyd has something else he has to do right now, so our journey is postponed."

"What? Oh no, why?" She asks, clasping her hands in front of her chest, looking truly worried for her friend. This makes Zelos feel a bit guilty for not sharing the same worry as her.

"Not sure, he never said why. But he seemed pretty desperate to get going." Zelos states, icy eyes focused on the girl in front of him.

"We should go look for him! Whatever he's doing, he'll probably need help!" Colette exclaims, heading past Zelos and towards the door.

"Hold on a minute Colette, it sounds like Lloyd doesn't exactly want help." Zelos puts a hand on her shoulder, stopping her movements. "Besides, we don't even know where he's going. I also have to tell Regal, Sheena, and . . . Raven."

The blonde looks up at him, confusion in her eyes. "But wouldn't Lloyd do the same for any of us? Even if he may not want our help, we still have to go to him, right?"

When Colette puts it like that, it makes Zelos feel a bit dumb. Of course Lloyd will do the same. 

"Alright then, how about you go search for Lloyd, and I'll go tell the others. Not sure how I'm gonna find Sheena, but I know that Raven and Regal are most likely in Altamira." He smirks, lightly patting her head. "We'll see each other again, so let's keep an eye out for each other, okay?"

Colette smiles at this, nodding in agreement. "Okay!"

**Altamira**

It seems Zelos hit two birds with one stone, because two of the people he needed to speak with were already here in Altamira. After explaining all of what happened, and his plan to find Lloyd and help him out, Regal lets out a small hum in thought.

"Even though I have work to attend to here, I will make sure to keep an eye out for him. Lloyd is of utmost importance, and if he's in trouble, than it is our priority that we help him." Zelos had to refrain from rolling his eyes at the cheesiness, doing his best to ignore the blonde woman that stands beside the President of the Lazerano Company, her unnerving purple eyes never wavering from him.

The red-head is resting a hand on his hip, tapping his fingers lightly against his side. "The help would be nice. I'm just hoping that whatever Lloyd got himself into, we'll be able to get him out of it." After all, even if they did manage to find him, it didn't mean they could solve whatever problem with just the flick of a wrist. They may have to get hurt, physically and mentally.

Regal nods in agreement. "Yes, I doubt this will be easy. But that will not hinder us from acting. We'll do whatever is necessary to help our friend. He's already done so much to help us."

Considering he practically saved the world, this is the least we can do for him. Zelos thinks to himself, before looking over at Raven.

"Hey, I'm taking you with me. I won't be able to find Sheena by myself, Martel knows where that assassin ran off to." He doesn't exactly know why he's being so awkward with the woman. Maybe it's because the last time they spoke, they had been saying good bye? But still, Zelos doesn't understand why he's having a hard time looking her in the eye. Maybe it's because he feels as if Raven can understand what he's thinking. But of course she can't. She's not a mind reader, after all.

The blonde gives a nod, and the two are about to bid their farewells to the president, when suddenly the door is being opened with a bang.

"Sir, I'm afraid we're having . . . complications with one of our trading partners." George, Regal's butler, states, looking quite concerned.

"Complications? Explain, George. And quickly."

Normally, Zelos and Raven wouldn't eavesdrop on important issues, but the two are glad that they did when they hear the next words that come out out of George's mouth.

"It seems that Lloyd Irving has attacked Palmacosta . . .the whole port has been burnt to ashes."

Zelos steps forward now, muscles taught as his dark eyebrows furrow. "What? No, that's impossible. Lloyd wouldn't do something like that. That can't be Lloyd you're talking about."

_No, it has to be an imposter. Lloyd would never attack a whole town, or anybody, for that matter._

"Zelos, come on." Raven suddenly speaks up next to him, her expression equally as troubled as she grabs a hold of his wrist. 

"Let's go to Palmacosta. If we get there soon enough, we might run into Lloyd."  
The former Chosen nods instantly, before turning to Regal. The two men nod at each other, both understanding the grave situation that this has turned into.

Zelos and Raven quickly prepare for their journey to Palmacosta, and without a moments hesitation, begin heading that way.


	5. Raven

**Chapter 3**

The arrival of Zelos wasn't nearly as much of a shock as the news about Palmacosta. I had been expecting Zelos to show up for a few weeks now, since he had promised to visit me along with Lloyd a month prior. But when he came alone while I was talking to Regal about our arrangement of me staying in one of his places, I was somewhat shocked.

And then, one of Regal's workers came bearing the news of Palmacosta going up in flames and Lloyd being the one to start it.

Fast forward to an hour later, Zelos and I are nearing Palmacosta. We haven't exchanged any words since we could see thick smoke rising into the sky from the general area of the port town. The sight of the smoke has filled me with a sense of dread and it must be doing to same for Zelos, too.

As we get closer, I can start to hear the crackling of flames and smell the thick smoke. It may still be a mile and a half away, but I'm starting to get desperate on arriving there. The need to know what is going on is eating me alive slowly but surely.

"Zelos," I murmur to him. His gaze finally slides over to mine and away from the dark sky. "I'm going ahead. If you can't find me right away, meet me a mile north of Palmacosta in an hour. If I'm not back by than, you can come and find me."

As I was saying that, I had retracted my wings and prepared myself to take off. His dark red eyebrows furrow and he opens his mouth like he's going to protest, but, instead he nods. I smile at him before taking off at a sprint. Despite the mild wind, I manage to take off easily and find myself quickly leaving Zelos behind. I feel a little guilty for leaving him, but he's a grown man so he can take care of himself.

It only takes moments for me to see what's going on in the town. The flames have spread rapidly and have already destroyed most of Palmacosta. I easily recognize the few people running about by their uniforms. The Sylvaranti Liberation Front, otherwise known as the Vanguard, wander the town in droves, seemingly looking for something.

I hover over the town for a moment before land just inside. None of the Vanguard acknowledge my presence, their gazes sliding over me before moving on. They're the only ones here besides me by the sound of it. That is until I hear a masculine scream rip through the air.

"Hold on!" 

Racing off towards the scream, I make sure to cover my face from leaping flames. I don't have to worry about inhaling too much smoke, luckily, but I can still get burnt. Sprinting down an alley leads me to the main part of Palmacosta and when I quickly look around I notice I'm the only one here. It's hard to tell which direction the scream came from because of the loud crackling of fire and how the smoke distorts the sounds.

"Where could he-"

A body suddenly smacks into my shoulder, nearly spinning me around. I catch myself before that can happen and glare at the strangers back. "Hey! I know you're in a hurry, but, watch where-"

My voice suddenly cuts off again. This time it's not because someone runs into me, however. For the second time today, I've been shocked into silence.

The person who ran into me stops a few feet in front of me. They keep their back to me, but do turn their face to look at me. Their brown irises almost look orange because of the light given off by the flames and their face is garish looking also because of the difference between the light and shadows on their face. Their body language says more than the blood dripping from their swords, too.

"Lloyd?"

Time seems to slow when I say his name aloud. The brunet doesn't say anything and just stares at me with a neutral expression, watching me carefully for any other reaction besides shock. His silence cuts through me like a knife. It must be true if he's here; how he left Zelos and started an attack on the town we stand in now. But the real question is: why?

This isn't like him at all. First, he leaves Zelos with no word why he's doing so. And then the attack on Palmacosta and starting a fire? Not him either. But, here he stands, proving that he's not as innocent as he seems. Unless of course he's just being framed and is only here to help the citizens. Then again, I have to remind myself there's blood all over his dual swords, screaming of the violence he's committed.

We stare at each other for what feels like hours. In reality, it's only less than a minute that we stand here, watching each other. As the seconds tick by, I start to notice something off about Lloyd. He must know what I'm starting to realize, for when he leaves he races off, not looking back.

I don't understand. . .

Then it clicks. I've always been able to sense souls and just like the rest of the party's, I know what everyone's soul feels like. Lloyd's has always calmed me, for it gives of waves of relaxing vibes and cheerfulness. The soul I sense from this Lloyd is cold and bitter, not like the soul I know Lloyd's to be.

"You're not the real Lloyd!" I scream out, lunging forward to go after him. This imposter immediately sickens me to the bone. I don't know how they did it, but this stranger has managed to look exactly Lloyd. He (or even a she) even has his mannerisms down to a point. They're scarring Lloyd's name by doing this and every part of me screams to go after them and expose them for who they really are before any damage can be done.

Yet, a young voice suddenly cries out. The sound of a little girl in pain distracts me from going after the imposter Lloyd. I stop in my tracks, looking around. She cries out again, her shrill voice helping me pinpoint where she is. The inn to my right isn't nearly as in flames as the buildings around it, but, the little girl is in that building is in pain and more than likely scared out of her mind.

Only a fraction torn, it takes me less than a second to come to a decision on what to do. Whoever the imposter is, they'll either make it out of Palmacosta alive or die. If the latter happens I won't have to worry about Lloyd's name being scarred. . . At least, hopefully.

"Here goes nothing." That said, I rush towards the building with a lowered head and an arm covering my face. The door inside is partially open so all I have to do is kick it open and then rush inside.

A quick look around shows no one in my proximity and a partially burning foyer. Smoke is condensed at the ceiling, not obscuring my view just yet. "Where are you, sweetheart? I'm here to get you out."

She calls out again, but I can't hear what she says. She sounds close, though. I look around the foyer again, walking around and studying the place. When my eyes pass over the desk check-in, I stop for a moment and look closer at it. The flames haven't reached over that way yet but the smoke is thicker.

There.

"I'm coming your way, so don't panic. Can you come out?" I try to keep my voice as soft as possible and at the same time loud enough for her to hear.

"I'm t-too scared!" she yells out, her voice wavering but now I can tell she is indeed hiding under the desk. Once I walk around it, I can see her curled up underneath it, her face hidden by her legs. Her light hair is a wild mess and filled with ash. I kneel down beside her, one hand on the desk and the other held out.

"Don't be. I'm here now to protect you." She slowly looks up after I say that, and the smudges of ash on her face doesn't hinder the fact that her eyes are a vibrant color of sunset pink. Her lip quivers as tears streak down her face. "You can trust me, I promise."

She looks at my outstretched hand before suddenly flinging herself at me. Automatically I wrap my arms around her and hug her close to me. Standing, I quickly head towards the entrance before the flames can spread further and trap us inside. Once outside, I take a deep breath and look down at the girl. 

She's staring up at me, her eyes wide with wonder. One of her hand reaches up and she touches my cheek, tilting her head slightly as she studies me. "You're not an angel, are you?"

I resist the urge to snort. Instead, I shake my head and begin moving forward, walking at a fast pace. "No, I'm not anymore. I'm a fallen angel."

"That means your name is Raven. A lot of humans talk about you. So you really went on the Journey of Regeneration with Lloyd and Colette and all of the others?"

"Yes, I did." A burning bridge is now in front of me. I have to cross over it to get to the other part of Palmacosta, where the exit lies. I clutch her tighter to me, preparing to cross the bridge. I'll more than likely get singed, but, I'm too worried about getting us both out of here to really care. "You can ask me more questions later. Do you know where your parents are?"

She shakes her head. "My daddy's dead and I don't know where my mommy went. I've been alone for a year now."

Well, shit. "Alright, do you have anyone that takes care of you?"

"I do."

Whipping around, I see a figure walking through the smoke. The flames halo their figure and as they come closer I realize it's a woman only looking a little older than me. Her black hair shines a dark blue in the light of the flames and the outfit she wears misplaces her even more. A white crop-top hugs her figure along with her black leather trousers. Long pieces of tan and nearly transparent silk are wound around her torso, two ends of the silk nearly trailing the ground behind her. 

Her eyes are the oddest part about her. They look exactly like cat eyes, slitted pupils, greenish yellow coloring and all. Those eyes are trained on me, which makes me freeze in my spot and unable to move. As she comes closer, I don't even realize the girl slips out of my arms and joins the strange woman.

She suddenly bends down and her gaze moves to the girl. As soon as she's done staring at me, I finally snap out of my trance.

"Are you all right, Mikayla?" She asks the girl, taking her hands in her's.

Mikayla, the girl that I rescued, nods. "Yep. Raven saved me."

At the saying of my name, the woman looks at me again. This time I'm ready for her gaze and am able to clear my mind. The woman holds one of Mikayla's hands as she walks over to me. She takes in my appearance, her gaze only somewhat unnerving.

"Raven, hm?" She stops a foot in front of me, and now I can clearly see scars crisscrossing her face, all of them faint but noticeable enough. "Yes there's no mistaking it. You're a Sol descendant."

I flinch as she reaches forward, but, she nonetheless gently touches my cheek with her gloved hand. Even beneath the cloth, I can feel heat radiating from her skin. An odd feeling rises in my stomach also when she touches me. For a moment, I swear I feel my un-beating heart almost stutter to life.

"What the hell are you?" I murmur, my eyes wide. The woman grins lopsidedly, showing off longer and more pointed canine teeth. "How-?"

"Your blood heritage is reacting to mine. In no time at all, your world will flip upside down and you will be seeking help with a power you will still not remember how you've received." She drops her hand and the feeling still lingers moments after. Her smile drops soon after her hand is gone. "Until your memories return, I can be of no help to you. If the rumors are true, you have no idea what I am talking about. It's a shame really, but, I suppose there is nothing I can do since the Spirits presumably buried your memories."

A shockwave suddenly shakes the ground, and we all look over to see a building crumble to the ground. I turn my body away from the debris and ash flying in the air, again shielding my face with my arm. When I look back, both the strange woman and Mikayla are perfectly fine, not a scratch on them.

"We have no more time to converse. Raven, quickly leave this town." She must see I'm about to protest, for she raises a hand and shakes her head. "Do not worry about us. I am more than capable of taking care of us." She looks around us, eyebrows furrowed. "I suppose I'll have to summon a storm to douse the flames."

"You plan on staying here? You'll get yourselves killed! Come on, be reasonable and come with me." I'm desperate for them to come with me. Not only because of Mikayla, but, also because this woman seems to know more about me than I know about myself. She could possibly tell me who I am and maybe even my past!

She's suddenly grinning again, her cat eyes sparkling. "I'm a witch, dear. It takes more than some flames to kill witches, despite what American folklore says."

Just like when she touched me, I feel it again. This time, it's stronger and my vision blurs significantly, making me go nearly blind. Coughing, I clutch at my chest, just barely catching the last beat of my heart before it stops again. The aftereffects of it however, make me fall to my knees. Little pinpricks all across my body start firing at me, pain flaring all throughout my body.

"What the hell did you do to me? Why did my heart-"

"As I said." I slowly look up at her, staring at her in confusion and utter surprise. Her face is getting harder to see as the seconds tick by, and black spots start to dance across my vision. I can at least tell that she's not smiling anymore and is just looking at me with a sad expression. "Your blood heritage is reacting to mine. It won't take over in my presence, sadly. You'll need either Rhiannon to awaken it or have a strong electrical current restart your heart to be who you once were." She looks up at the sky then, muttering a few words I can't make out.

"That's all I can say for now. Your nerves must be confused and are starting. . ."

As my vision starts to go darker, my hearing starts to go with it. The next thing I know, I feel myself tipping over. Before I hit the ground and my eyes close, there's a bright flash of light then a male voice calling out to me. When my eyes close, I can still at least feel a pair of arms catch me before I hit the ground.

Then there's nothing but silence and blackness.

\---

Ever so slowly, I can start to feel sunshine warming up the right side of my face. The warmth feels good despite me feeling already a little warm.

My whole body is sore and even though I haven't tried it yet, I can tell moving will be difficult for me. I sigh and open my eyes, trying my best to ignore the sunlight blinding my right eye. My vision is blurry for a moment until it finally settles. I have no idea what time it is or what day it is, but, with the way my limbs are aching I'm sure I've been out for more than a day.

Footsteps echo across the room suddenly. It doesn't startle me all that much, for I can hear indiscernible voices downstairs and the circular room I'm in looks familiar. 

"Zelos?" I ask, wondering if it's the redhead. Before I fell unconscious I'm sure it was his voice that called out to me. He must have been the one to take me here, too.

"Nope." Sheena walks around the corner, a smile on her face. "It's just little old me."

"Oh, hey. Long time no see, Sheena." I manage to sit up, albeit slowly. The former assassin moves towards me and then sits near the end of the bed. "How long have you been here? And do you know how long I've been out?"

"Zelos sent a message to me yesterday and explained what happened in Palmacosta. He also asked for me to come here; I only arrived here this morning. You've been unconscious for two and a half days, apparently." Her brows suddenly furrow and I can easily see the question in her brown irises. "What happened to you?"

"Honestly?" I shrug, remembering the events that led up to me falling unconscious. "I only have a few assumptions. I was trying to get me and a little girl out of Palmacosta, when this odd looking woman came up to us. She had a strange accent and was wearing odd clothes. She kinda reminded my of an elf, until she later claimed to be a witch."

"A witch? That's unusual." Sheena leans back, her hands lying on the mattress. "They're not very common and hated worse than half-elves. I only know of two; one in Tethe'alla and the other in Sylvarant. Did she cast some spell on you that knocked you out?"

"I'm not sure," I say, pursing my lips for a few seconds. "She touched me and I had weird reaction to it. My heart. . . actually seemed to start beating for a moment. She said it was my blood heritage reacting to her's; whatever that means."

"Blood heritage. . ." Now Sheena is quiet for a few moments as she looks away from me. When she looks back, an odd expression is on her face. "She said she was a witch, right?" When I nod, she continues. "I'm guessing she means you're a witch."

I look away from the former assassin, staring at my hands. I had pulled them from under the blanket and clasped them together while we were talking. Fidgeting profusely, I manage to speak after a moment, even though my voice has softened. "I thought the same as well. It's just. . . hard to tell whether or not it's true. As far as having wings and having no heartbeat, I don't feel any different from any other human. I can't conjure magic and I don't have the strong urge to hex people."

"Maybe it's because you're a fallen angel completely now?"

"I. . . don't know. That might be it." I look back up at Sheena, who is looking at me with concern.

"Well, I guess that's all that can be said for now. We can talk more about it later. You're not looking very good, so, I'll leave you alone to get some rest." After she says that, she stands. Sheena pats my leg, giving me a small smile. As she turns away, she mumbles something which it sounds like she's going to tell Zelos that I'm doing fine.

Sighing again, I lie down and turn on my side away from the sunlight. I close my eyes, letting my thoughts wander.

What happened in Palmacosta isn't adding up. First, there was the imposter Lloyd attacking the port town. Why would someone impersonate him? Do they hate Lloyd and are trying to scar his name to get revenge on him? Or is it because Lloyd is so revered that someone wants to feel powerful? It would make no sense for it to be the latter, because they could be someone much more powerful. Like the King of Tethe'alla or even Zelos or Colette.

Then there was that cat-eyed lady who claimed to be a witch and said I was one, too. Since only a few of my memories have returned, I can't argue whether or not I am actually a witch. I have no clue of my parent's heritage either, besides them being fallen angels.

None of this is making any sense. But, as I slowly drift back to sleep, I vow silently that I'll learn the truth. Even if it kills me.


End file.
